In the running: (From left) Ng, Tharman and Tan received their certificates of eligibility. — The Straits Times/ANN
THE city-state will head for its first contested presidential election in over a decade in an exercise seen to weigh public sentiment at a time when the city-state had been rocked by controversies.Singaporeans will vote on Sept 1 for just the third time since a constitutional amendment in 1991 transformed the post into a publicly elected one.
Three met the strict criteria to contest, the Elections Department said yesterday. They have to be officially nominated on Aug 22.
There were a total of six applications for the city-state’s largely ceremonial post of president.
Six years ago, incumbent Halimah Yacob got the job in an uncontested exercise.
Unlike in the 2017 election when only Malay candidates were allowed to seek the presidency, the poll is open to all races this time. The results will be closely watched to gauge how Singaporeans’ perceive the ruling party ahead of a general election that must be called by 2025.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) has been hit by a series of scandals in recent weeks, putting its reputation to test.
“The election will be an important indicator of sentiments on the ground towards the ruling party’s role in Singapore politics,” said Nydia Ngiow, managing director at strategic business consultancy firm BowerGroupAsia.
She said there’s been “discourse over whether the presidency should go to a candidate that is endorsed by the establishment or anti-establishment.”
Here are the three eligible candidates:
Ng Kok Song, 75A former chief investment officer of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte and chairman of multibillion-dollar investment firm Avanda Investment Management, Ng spent more than four decades working up the ranks of public service until his retirement in 2013. He also said his long experience in the finance sector positions him well to safeguard the national reserves.
Tan Kin Lian, 75The former Singapore presidential hopeful Tan will take another shot at the job. The former head of NTUC Income came in last of four candidates at the 2011 presidential election. If he wins the election, he said he would use the office to work with the government to bring down the cost of living – a hot button topic that has caused anxiety in Singapore.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66Before resigning his government posts to run in this election, Tharman spent more than two-decades in office with the PAP where he rose to deputy premier and senior minister.
He was first elected member of the parliament in 2001 and had been chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as coordinating minister for social policies, and advised Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the economy. — Bloomberg
